A Song Of the Marsh
by Sexy Lovecraft
Summary: All the noble girls marry. First was Lady Sansa Stark, the now beautiful wife of the crown prince Joffrey Baratheon. Now it's time for her little sister Arya. As much as she fights, the she-wolf will have to marry. Luckly, she is promised to Jojen Reed, a crannogman, son of the Lord of Greywater Watch. [AU where Ned Stark becomes Hand, but he never finds out about the incest]
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_"Mother is going to kill me."_, thought Arya.

Arya Stark, a lady from one of the Great Houses, didn't fit in King's Landing. A lots of young ladies from minor houses dreamt of living in the King's court, but Arya hated the place. She once enjoyed the castle; she had "dancing" lessons with Syrio Forel and she explored the city, but when Arya turned twelve something changed. Arya was diferent, she looked unlike her. Her father, the Hand of the King, Lord Eddard Stark forbade her the sword fighting lessons and Septa Mordane was more demanding, especially when her older sister Sansa finally married with the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon.

Arya was bored in the court. She had to do girl things. The other ladies were boring and hypocrite. And then Septa Mordane started to talk about the "pretty knights" who were present on court. _What pretty knights? Knights to marry?_

Arya begged her father to send her back to Winterfell. To home. She missed Winterfell so much. Lord Eddard hesitated, particularly when there were some interessing wedding proposals from great and rich houses, but Ned decided to send her to WInterfell. She was young and, where she gets older (and wiser), she would return to King's Landing and marry with honorable young lord.

Ned took advantage of the situation and asked to the King and childhood friend Robert Baratheon the King's permission to accompany his daughter in the journey's party to Winterfell and also get back in touch with his wife Catelyn. King Robert got a little upset, but he let the friend do the trip.

**x-x**

When Lord Eddard and Arya arrived, Lady Catelyn was waiting with her heart in her hands and she run to see her husband and her youngest daughter again.

"Oh Ned!", she gave a big kiss to Ned and Arya started happily greeting and hugging her brothers. She hunged Robb who grow up to a great man and a lord. Some time from now he'll probably choose a wife and marry. Bran and Rickon also grow up. Before they were little boys; now Bran was ten and he was as tall as Arya.

Nymeria, the direwolf, met this brothers in four years of absence. Grey Wind, Summer and Shaggy recognized their sister and they stared to play, very happy. The pack was together.

Arya was quite happy, even if she was a little sad by the absence of Jon Snow. She missed the brother that ruffled her hair and smiled to her.

There were a great feast in honor of their arrivel, with lots of warm and flavorful food. The smallfolk in Winter Town also ate, feasting, singing and dancing. The Great Hall of Winterfell was full of people. Some Northern nobleman like Lord Medger Cerwyn and Lord Rickard Karstark were present. The feast lasted till the late hours of the night.

**x-x**

"I'm sad that you didn't adapt to King's Landing.", said Catelyn, brushing her daughter's tousled hair in the next morning. _If Arya brush her hair more often, she would have a very silky hair._ But she didn't. Lady Catelyn, a beautiful woman and respectful, concluded that the Red Keep or even the strict Septa Mordane will never teach the savage Arya to be a lady; she needed her mother.

"I didn't like the place.", said Arya. Although it was half a lie.

"Well, in my time, the Red Keep was a horrible place."

"I know the history of King Aerys Targaryen. _Ouch_...", said Arya, "But Father was always busy - _ouch_ \- and I had no friends. Nymeria was - _ouch_ \- was always locked. It was awfull. _Ouch_ \- And the other girls - _ouch_ \- were stupid. Like Sansa. She didn't talk to me, Sansa was too busy with her prince."

Catelyn was worried about her oldest daughter, but she smiled.

"Oh sweet Arya, Sansa was promised to Joffrey Baratheon. Of course, she was always with her prince.", Arya shrugged. Catelyn began to make a braid with Arya's soft dark hair and said, "If you want to, I can find a friend for you."

"You can't just simply find a friend for me, Mother.", said Arya, "Friends aren't like flowers. I just need to meet a person who likes me. In the Red Keep, I didn't find a person who_ truly_ liked me."

"But I bet there's a girl in North who wants to be a friend with you.", said Catelyn, "Maybe a daughter of one of your father's bannerman."

"No.", said Arya, "Are we done with the braid?"


	2. Winter, marriages and knights

_Thank you so much for the favorites, the following and the reviews._

_**DinomyteHero:** Thank you, but I can't answer to you question. You need to read the story to know._

_**Guest**: Yeah, Jojen is a nice guy and Arya would love to leave in the Neck, free and wild._

_**Evaline101:** I'm updating, but I'm a slow writer. :(_

_I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Please, review. I need to know if you are enjoying or not._

_Kisses._

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_**Winter, marriages and knights**_

The days in Winterfell were cold. _"I was used to the mild weather of King's Landing."_, thought Arya, dressing her wolf fur coat,_ "But I'm a direwolf, a Stark. I shouldn't feel cold."_ Her days were filled with the certain activities like sewing (terribly for Septa Mordane's despair), secretly sword practicing with her Neddle, talking with her brothers Bran and Rickon about random subjects, answering to Theon's comments, wandering through Winterfell and reading. Anyway, Arya was bored. She could pretend she was from the smallfolk, but they know her. Without Sansa, Arya was the lady Stark of Winterfell (besides Lady Catelyn of course) and she needed to be lady-like. _"Like in King's Landing."_

"This is more tedious than I thought.", sighed Arya to herself.

The snow fell more heavily and Winter Town was full of people.

"Winter is coming.", said Catelyn to her daughter, "The people come to Winter Town trying to save their lifes. This summer was very long. Too long. Now it's ending."

"You sound like Father.", said Arya.

"But it's true.", said Catelyn, "You should've stayed in Red Keep."

Arya rolled her eyes.

"But I'm here.", said she, "But not for long."

**x-x**

"Probably I'm going to marry with Alys Karstark.", said Robb during dinner. Lady Alys Karstark was sitting close to her father, who was next to Ned Stark. For some unknown reason to Robb, Alys was going to spend a week in Winterfell. When Lord Ned returned from King's Landing, Lord Karstark was already in Winterfell; he said that he needed to speak to Lord Stark, but why bring his daughter?

"If you aren't interested, I've got to say that I am.", smirked Theon.

Robb drank the wine that was in his cup in one gulp and showed a shy smile to his friend.

"I hope your interest in Alys disappear when we get engaged.", said Robb.

"Of course.", said Theon.

Alys was a beautiful young girl. She has dark brown wavy hair woven into a simple braid. She has a long solemn face and a smile of a coltish girl and her eyes...she has the most beautiful, piercing eyes, they're blue but also grey. But she, very skinny, wearing the simple grey woolen grown with details in dark blue, she looked like a taller version of Arya.

On that day, Arya was forced by Lady Catelyn to spruce up. She put on her most beautiful and less dirty dress; it was of gray linen with a wool dark grey cover. She was beautiful. _"Arya became a beautiful young lady in the South."_

At the beginning of the dinner, when Arya entered the Great Hall, Robb smiled and said:

"You are very pretty, like a lady should be."

"I'm no lady.", growled the she-wolf. _"Yeah, still wild, but different..."_

"A boy has become a girl.", joked Theon. Arya got angry and pushed Theon, who didn't fall and continued to laugh. Fortunately, Mother didn't see the scene, "Is it all that you can?", asked Theon, smirking. Arya stared at Theon intensely, thinking. Then she smiled and said, very sassy:

"You don't _want_ to see all I can do."

Theon didn't laugh. But Robb did.

"Okay, sis. Let's eat, shall we?"

"Yeah, I should go to Arya and apologize.", said Theon, hurting his own pride. Arya was across the long table next to Bran and Rickon, "Maybe tomorrow. Today I gonna to _chat_ with Lady Alys."

"What about Ros? Did you stop _chatting_ with her?"

"We paused.", answered Theon, "But don't worry, my good friend Robb. I won't do anything wrong with Alys. Only_ talk_."

"Yeah, right..."

**x-x**

On the next day, Lady Catelyn was shocked with Ned's idea of taking Bran to King's Landing.

"Bran always wanted to became a knight.", said Ned, "Last night he begged to be send to the Red Keep. He and Rickon."

"He's only a boy.", said Cat.

"He's ten! I had two opportunities to take him to Red Keep and I didn't, because you begged not to."

"Please, Ned, no! He would be alone! At least, you could send him to Riverrun. Be a square to Brynden Tully.", said Catelyn.

"In Red Keep, we aren't alone. We never are.", said Ned, taking the delicate hands of his wife, "He would be with Sansa. And then with Arya, when she returns of her stage here. And you."

"I need to be here.", said Catelyn, "Must always have a Stark in Winterfell."

"Yes. But there's Robb.", said Ned, "Soon, Robb is going to marry and have his own family. He's ready to be Lord of Winterfell."

"Marry with Alys Karstark?"

"Maybe."

"He's too young.", said Catelyn, "My brother Edmure has twice of Robb's age and he's single and he even doesn't know how to rule over himself. When my father dies, it's going to be caos."

"And do you want to send Bran to that caos?", asked Ned, glancing his wife.

"I don't know.", sighed Catelyn, "He could marry one of the Frey girls. The Frey of the Crossing are becoming dangerously powerful."

Suddenly, someone knocks the door.

"Come in.", ordered Ned. It was Maester Luwin.

"M'lord, it is a raven from Moat Cailin.", said Maester Luwin, giving a thick paper made from green plants with the sigil of House Reed in wax holding the rustic scroll. Lord Ned read and then turned to his wife, showing a big smile.

"Lord Howland Reed is coming to visit Winterfell."


	3. The Arrival

_Sorry for my delay for such a small chapter._  
_School is killing me and I have no time of write my fanfics. Fortunately, I am on my Easter holidays and I promise I'll write more and faster. At least until the end of the holidays._

_**StellaCartoonlover:** Yes, Jojen have the sight, but Bran didn't fall from the tower, but he'll become a warg in a different way._

_**unlockedmusic &amp; Malyx Blackfyre:** Thank you!_

_Kisses for all of you! Please, review and favourite!_

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**The Arrival**

Lady Catelyn made Arya to wear a green dress that Septa Mordane and Alys Karstark made for her. It was a very beautiful gown with many details, which it's quite impressive because the dress was made in seven days. Arya learned how to like dresses and how comfortable can be, although she preferred more simple and practical clothing. She knew how beautiful and worked was that green dress; Arya thought that it was for Sansa that should have worn the gown.

"You shouldn't do it, Alys.", said Arya. She noticed that Alys' fingers were red and sore, "And what about you? Do you have a pretty dress for the feast? You should! I demand!"

Alys smiled.

"Yes, I've got one.", said Alys, "Do you want to see it?"

"Yes, why not?"

**x-x**

Frog-eaters. Swamp-dwellers. Mud-men. Bog devils.

_Crannogmen._

The Reed party appear riding on horses. There were only six riders. The crannogmen were quite simple people. The southern men can find the Neck a very hostile place and their people wild, but the Neck was part of the North and house Reed was noble and loyal to the Starks.

At the head of the party, was Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch. Followed by the eldest daughter, Meera, and his son, Jojen. They were very small people. Howland was only slightly taller than Arya and she was quite small. Meera was a beautiful girl, with a wild beauty. She was older than Robb only a few mounts. Jojen was 13, but he looked older. Jojen wasn't good looking or ugly; although Alys had commented that he was very attractive to the eye. For Arya, he was normal.

Behind them, there were three warriors. There was a man, slightly taller than Lord Reed, with two diagonal red scars in his face that crossed his right cheek, black hair, grey eyes and grey chapped lips; a spear-wife, the smallest of them, with auburn hair, big black eyes, pale skin and pouty lips; the third warrior was the youngest: he seemed to have 20 years, he had light brown messy hair, hazel eyes and a strong jaw. He was the most handsome of all.

They descend from their horses and Lord Reed approached Ned Stark.

"Welcome, my good friend.", smiled Ned.

"You have the habit of making feasts whenever someone comes to Winterfell.", said Lord Reed, showing the most lovable smile Arya had ever seen, "All we need is a roof to shelter us and hot soup with bread.", just like when King Robert Baratheon hugged Eddard Stark when he visited Winterfell, Howland hugged Ned tightly. They laughed and Lord Reed introduced his companions, "My older children, Meera and Jojen.", the siblings bowed down in the presence of Lord Stark, "You must remember Lord Andrys Fenn, aren't you?", the old man with grey eyes approached.

"Yes, I do. Even Robert Baratheon knighted you.", said Ned.

"I'm no knight.", said Ser Andrys, with a heavy voice, "I just did my job to protect the Neck and the North.", and he bowed.

The two young warriors also aproached and bowed down.

"Lady Asheyne Greengood, heir of Greenrock and Alec Cray.", said Lord Reed.

"It's a honor to met the King in the North.", said Asheyne, head still bowed.

"Lord.", corrected Lady Catelyn who was beside her husband, silent as it should be. Lady Asheyne blushed with shame.

"But we shall go to the Great Hall.", said Ned Stark, "That we have a small feast almost ready."


	4. Fun Times

_It's kinda short chapter, guys. :C_

_I'm working on a Sansa/Petyr fanfic, and, essentially, I'm more concentrated on that, and this one also._  
_But shit will get real in the next chapter. Just wait to read!_

_Please, review, favourite and follow._

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**Fun Times**

In the following days, Arya Stark and Alys Karstark became friends with Meera and Asheyne. The young northern girls admired the wild swamp ladies. Lady Meera Reed was the heir of Greywater Watch, but she was friendly and not in anything arrogant, and she had a nice smile and a positive spirit. Once she tried to do some neddlework, but Meera always stung her fingers with her neddle. She was worst than Arya!

"Didn't you sew in Greywater Watch?", asked Alys.

"I can stitch, but we don't need embroideries in the Neck.", said Meera, still trying doing something, "In the Neck, we don't live like in the rest of the kingdoms. We don't need useless things."

Septa Mordane looked disdainfully at Meera. The Septa felt a certain repulsion for the "frog eater".

"Sewing is not a useless thing.", said the Septa, very serious.

"I'm sorry, my lady. It wasn't what I meant.", said Meera in a challenging tone, "I was trying to say that we simply don't _need_ embroideries to adorn our clothes."

Septa Mordane seemed to not like the answer.

Lady Asheyne Greengood was older than Meera, but she seemed like a child while wandering through Winterfell.

"Winterfell is so beautiful and warm.", said Asheyne, during dinner "And huge... and I thought that Greywater was enormous."

Alys and Arya tried tried to imitate their style. Alys used her hair as Asheyne: a simple braid. She also used green short dresses and leather trousers. Arya imitated Meera: she had her loose hair and she sometimes wore leather vests with her grey short dress, like sometimes Meera Reed wore.

"You look beautiful, Arya.", said Lady Catelyn once. Arya blushed when Mother said that. No one said that she was beautiful. Maybe Father and Jon, but not Mother.

Arya also began to pray more next to the weirwood heart tree with her direwolf Nymeria, Meera and sometimes with Jojen. It was quiet and nice.

"For what gods did you pray?", asked Meera to Arya. In King's Landing, a man once said there is only one god: Death.

"For the Old and New.", answered Arya.

"Only the Old Gods, the gods of the Children of the Florest, listen us, where there always a weirwood tree.", said Jojen, "They listen our prays, our words, our wishes and help us.", Jojen was a strange boy. He spent most of his time with Bran and Rickon, but sometimes talked with Arya. Meera, Jojen, Bran, Arya and, sometimes Alys, wandered through the godswood.

Winterfell returned to be lively and cheerfull again.


End file.
